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The Importance of Familial Wellness for Healing

Ema-Joanne M. Brauchler 1

Rosy foliage tops off tall oak and maple trees around the lake at Laurel Acres Park.

October in Burlington County carries an easy chill that almost burns off with the mid-day sun.

The crowd of hundreds start to gather around the ready-made stage. Men, women, and children

of all ages, races, shapes and sizes, from New Jersey to Georgia, have gathered at the park.

Around them, everything is flaming with autumnal beauty, but they are not there to celebrate a

cool October. The multitude of people are here today to open about their struggles with mental

illness, and to build a support system for their local community as a stepping-stone towards

changing the national approach to mental health.

It's possible that such a beautiful park is an unlikely place for an event to discuss such a

vital and disheartening issue. Suicide is not beautiful. Mental illness is not beautiful. However,

the healing that this community supports is what makes the cyclical growth of Laurel Acres Park

an appropriate setting. Here today, families gather together as a thriving body of people, all

bound by a history of hardship. The Burlington County 'Out of the Darkness' walk is a place to

remember lost loved ones, to cope with illness, and to put faith in a healthy step towards mental

and emotional invigoration.

Annually since the fall of 2016, Mount Laurel, NJ is home to its Burlington county's only

walk to fight suicide. A branch of the AFSP's (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)

"Out of the Darkness" community, this walk has a home in all 50 states. Over the past several

years, the Burlington County chapter has gained the participation and attention of a growing

number of families in and around Mount Laurel. From across the East Coast, these families raise

money in support of the dissolution of the suicide epidemic in America. While the AFSP began

this walk to support people who suffer from mental illness, these advocacy events are helping

families cope with the loss of a loved one, or the struggle of mental illness in their home. While
The Importance of Familial Wellness for Healing
Ema-Joanne M. Brauchler 2

appropriately treating mental health issues is paramount to a sustainable lifestyle, what often

goes unacknowledged is the impact that such illnesses have on the family as a whole. Healthy

coping mechanisms are as important for the family unit as for the person struggling with mental

illness. Without adequate support, people struggling with mental illness are less likely to heal

wholly and completely. There are countless data that strong familial support makes a significant

difference in the physical and mental health of a person. The AFSP and organizations like it are

working to involve the whole family in the development of healthy lifestyles so that the cultural

response to mental health is more productive for all involved.

According to Ron Shor, PhD and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along

with co-author Anat Shalev, MSW of Beer Sheva Mental Health Center in Israel, their

experiment which implemented a program called the Family Members Support and Consultation

(FMSC) services for families of people with a severe mental illness was highly successful. The

professionals designed the program to provide a wealth of support systems to the families which

include but are not limited to:

"providing opportunities for ventilation and advice…accompanying family members in

difficult situations…helping family members support the person with mental

illness…facilitating interaction…providing guidance about overcoming communication

barriers" (69-70).

The experiment mentioned above can be loosely compared to issues that the AFSP wishes to

address with the Out of the Darkness walk. There are several instances where the experiment

extends beyond the capabilities that the AFSP can offer to its supporters and dependents.

However, the experiment's article details a program that was put in place to support families

which subsequently succeeded. In comparison, while the AFSP is much more informal and
The Importance of Familial Wellness for Healing
Ema-Joanne M. Brauchler 3

widespread than a singular program in an Israel hospital, the experiment is proof that external

support is hugely significant to family relations, and to the healing process for all involved. The

results of this experiment can only reaffirm the importance of the AFSP community events

across the country.

As the AFSP expands their efforts to cease the suicide epidemic in America, it is critical

to remember to include families in the healing process. Through a steady stream of

communication and support, healing will be made much easier for the person with a mental

illness. By bringing an AFSP event to a location near you, you are supporting the dissolution of

suicide in America. By supporting your nearest event, you are contributing to the education of

your friends and neighbors, and to the backing of people who struggle with mental illness in your

community.

Awareness and education are the first steps towards change; therefore, make it your goal

today to learn something new about how mental illness may affect you, your family, or your

neighbors. And tomorrow, make it your goal to learn how you, like Kyra, can help better your

community.
The Importance of Familial Wellness for Healing
Ema-Joanne M. Brauchler 4

Works Cited

(1) Shor, Ron, and Anat Shalev. “The Significance of Services in a Psychiatric Hospital for

Family Members of Persons with Mental Illness.” Family, Systems, & Health, vol. 33, no.

I, Mar. 2015, pp. 68–71. Seeker, eds-a-ebscohost-com.proxy-

ln.researchport.umd.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=c8b083c7-9d5e-49f4-9f23-

b199e1c09d95%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2

l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=2014-52630-001&db=pdh.

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